This disclosure generally relates to computer system manufacturing and service, and more particularly, to supporting solutions-based system apparatus and methods. A method is needed to service a built-to-order group of distinct computer systems that the customer intends to interconnect in a way that makes them a “solution”.
Computer system manufacturers face major challenges with on-line support, phone-based technical support, on-site service, and the upgrade processes for solutions-based products such as Storage Area Networks (SANs), Network Attached Storage (NAS), server clusters, and more recently, e-commerce configurations consisting of multiple servers, storage systems, software components, and networking interconnects. Historically focused on “boxed systems”, a build-to-order computer manufacturer assigns “Service Tags” to individual computer systems whether they are used as individual systems or as part of a larger system of components to provide a solution. While this approach is adequate to service and upgrade a single monolithic box (the box), it fails to work when that box is an integral part of a larger solution with complex interdependencies.
On-Line Support:
As a build-to-order computer manufacturer's computing solutions become increasingly complex, the ability to post product and educational documentation, technical alerts, and software updates online will be a critical requirement for success in the respective market space. For example, the prompt availability and accessibility of a single software driver update may be needed to solve a critical problem in a large solution such as a Storage Area Network or Server Cluster. Using just a service tag, there is no way to associate the needs of the solution with the needs of the specific box. The ability to post product and educational documentation, technical alerts, and software updates for the solution online will also be a major challenge with respect to Storage Domain Management (SDM) and storage virtualization products.
With conventional on-line support systems, customers and computer manufacturer support personnel access updates and information via mechanisms such as on-line support systems and various search tools. Further, with conventional on-line support systems, documentation, OEM recommendations, and knowledge base searches are provided via the service tag. Providing information to the customer using a single machine's service tag cannot account for the complexities of interconnecting that device with other devices and software in distributed environments. The conventional on-line support system possesses no capability to correlate multiple systems and software components involved in solving a complex problem. For example, if a given configuration comprises a server cluster using Microsoft's Cluster Server software, then the configuration includes the exact server models the customer is using, the shared storage enclosure(s), the operating system, the clustering software, and any other system components such as cluster-enabled RAID controllers. These components have individual support characteristics associated with them, but there is also a superset of support required for the implementation as a whole and the software components. This superset of support might include certain diagnostics routines to trouble-shoot any problems in the solution, validation routines to check for correct installation and wiring of the boxes in the solution, capture and audit mechanisms for reporting asset information for the entire solution, monitoring routines for sending health information to the support lines via the Internet, and the like.
Conventionally, none of the above identified configuration items are tied together when on-line support offerings and resources are presented in response to an on-line support inquiry. As a result, the support given might not be relevant to the particular configuration. For example, a customer may require a software update specific to a certain cluster configuration. The particular customer may be unable to locate the desired software update file because the conventional system lacks capability to search for updates based on the cluster configuration.
Tech Support:
The “Service Tag-centric” approach to support causes errors in Technical Support organizations and hinders the computer manufacturer's ability to deliver effective support to high-end computing solutions. The technician's access to internal support resources is similarly oriented to the “box” rather than the “solution”. The complex interdependencies within the high-end computing and enterprise solutions are constantly changing. The complex interdependencies are also too numerous for technicians to memorize. Accordingly, it would be desirable for on-line system support tools to have an ability to present solution-oriented information to technicians for assisting technicians in their support of these enterprise solutions.
On Site Service:
If a technical support representative decides that a given server or storage device requires service, then the representative may dispatch on-site service to fix the server. The dispatch may include, for example, dispatching a technician who is trained in break/fix tactics for a specific component or all the specific components inside a single “box”. For instance, the technician may be perfectly capable of replacing a Fibre Channel host bus adapter (HBA) in a particular server, but may not understand actions required to recover proper operations throughout the solution once the HBA is replaced. It is becoming far more commonplace for that HBA to be plugged into a Fibre Channel switch with complex Fibre Channel zoning definitions that need to be modified or reconfigured if and when that HBA is replaced.
Upgrades:
Adding components and/or software upgrades for a given solution can be very complicated. For instance, significant “missing and wrong” and excessive field rework can be created because the sales and technical support representatives have a service tag focus. Accordingly, the sales and technical support representative are unable to efficiently view upgrade requirements based on the entire solution's configuration.
For example, a customer may desire to purchase an additional server or storage nodes or additional infrastructure for their Storage Area Network (SAN). For that customer, the following must first be determined: the overall topology and size of the SAN, as well as the number of servers and storage in the customer's SAN, what versions of firmware, PROM, device drivers, storage software, etc. are in place before determining the scope of work required, as well as products needed, to upgrade the solution. The process of manually identifying the installed the components and configuration can be very time consuming, as well as prone to error.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a support system having an ability to present solution-oriented information for assisting in the support of enterprise solutions and other large solutions with complex interdependencies.